Fracking probe promises to be 'far reaching'

The chairman of a parliamentary inquiry looking into the impacts of fracking in Western Australia says it is likely the investigation's terms will be broadened.

The inquiry will investigate the impact that hydraulic fracturing of unconventional gas has on land and groundwater.

The terms also include the reclamation and rehabilitation of land where fracking has occurred and the regulation of chemicals used in the process.

Simon O'Brien says the inquiry is designed to be "far reaching".

"We've deliberately adopted wide terms of reference so that we can expand our enquires and look at other related issues that come up during the course of our inquiry," he said.

"The whole purpose of course is to make sure that we've got a complete and non-partisan and objective body of information that the public and future governments can rely on in making their discussions about shale gas.

"We want to make sure that we get down to the bottom of all of the questions that are raised in the public mind, about land rights, about access to land, all of those sorts of things so that we've got a body of work which can inform the public and inform public debate in the future."